Metallic plate element for building parts



July 4, 1939.

M. FOULD 2,164,681

METALLIC PLATE ELEMENT FOR BUILDING PARTS Filed Feb. 14, 1936 PatentedJuly 4, 1939 UNITED STATES amsu METALLIC PLATE ELEDIENT FOB BUILDINGmin-rs Maurice Fould, Paris, France, assignor to Forges de Strasbourg(Societc Anonymc), Paris France, a company of France ApplicationFebruaryld, 1938, Serial No. 63,952 In France November 18, 1935 5Claims.

The present invention relates to systems of metallic plate elements forthe construction of various structures, such for instance as innerpartitions in buildings, ceilings, panels for external walls, roofs,fences, and, in a general way, any building elements -or parts.

The object of the present invention is to provide a system of plateelements the assembly of which permits of obtaining a simple and strongstructure, easy to assemble and to take to pieces.

According to the essential feature of the present invention, each plateelement is provided with one male assembling edge curved in the shape ofa gutter which is preferably substantially semi-cylindrical in sectionand one female assembling edge forming a nearly closed recess ofcorresponding shape, with a slot running longitudinally along the endthereof. A plane end part making an angle of 90 with the body of theplane element prolongs the female edge thereof.

The plate elements are arranged in such manner as to form two seriesrunning parallelly to each other, each series consisting of elementsassembled in successive adjacent relation, with the male edge of eachengaged in the slot of the gutter of the next one. Said series ofelements are so arranged that the plane end parts thereof a a are turnedtoward one another respectively, and

interconnected by cross members.

Other features of the present invention will be hereinafter described,with reference to the accompanying drawing, given merely by way ofexample, and showing some a preferred embodiment of thepresentinvention.

In this drawing:

Fig. l is a sectional view showing in detail the connection between twoadjacent plate elements:

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical sectional view of a series of elements inFig. l, assembled together;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a structure according to the presentinvention;

Fig. 4 shows the application of the invention to corrugated plates;

, Fig. 5 shows the application of the invention to ribbed plates;-

Fig. 6 shows an angle plate.

Fig. 1 shows the adjacent edges of two plate elements iand 2 assembledtogether. The male edge of metallic plate element I is bent so as tohave a semi-cylindrical section as shown at I, in such manner that theend generatrix of said semi-cylinder is located nearly in the plane ofplate I, but slightly behind it.-

The corresponding female edge of element 2 is first folded upon itself,as shown at iii, then bent so as to form a semi-cylinder of a diameterslightly larger than that of the male edge 3 that is en a ed th Pa ts 0and 4 fo ms cavity which is nearly wholly closed and inside which saidmale edge 3 is imprisoned.

The female edge 4 is terminated by a plane end part 5 which is bent atright angles to the general plane of panel 2. This end part 5 serves tostiffen the panel and to assemble it to another building element.

- Between the semi-cylindrical part 4 and the plane edge I there isprovided a small stop surface 6 intended to be applied, when the plateelements are assembled, against plate i. This surface 6 thus maintainsthe elements in predetermined relative positions.

When the elements form the external lining of a building, thegutter-shaped part 3 can serve to evacuate rain water, which ensures thewatertightness of the assembly over its whole length without requiringthe adjunction of any supplementary piece.

In order to assemblethe plate elements together, the male edge of aplate element may be caused to slide longitudinally in the correspondingfemale recess of the adjacent plate, in the same manner as forassembling spills. However, preferably, the edge of gutter-shaped part 3is first engaged in recess 4 along its whole length, as shown at I inFig.2, then plate .1 is caused to pivot about the joint in the directionof arrow 1 until it has been brought into the position it is to occupyfinally, as shown by I in dotted lines,

said-position being determined by the stop surface 6 of the precedingplate element.

The whole taken to pieces quite as easily in the inversemanner.

The method of assembling the plate elements together by pivoting isparticularly advantageous owing to the fact that it is not necessary tobring plate I to a level higher than its final position.

Of course, it is clear that the structure of the male and femalegutter-shaped parts 3 and 4 is not limited to the cylindrical shape,although most of the other possible shapes do not permit of assemblingthe elements together by pivoting.

.According to the invention, these plate elements serve to ake walls ofbox-like structure, as shownby Fig. 3. In this latter case, two parallelseries of elements II, ii are built, the eleand 5), so as to increasethe stiffness or to improve the appearance of the structure formed bythe assembly of the elements.

I may also provide, according to my invention, angle plate elements, theparts of which are for instance at right angles to each other, as shownin Fig. 6 of the drawing.

In a general way,- while I have, in the above description, disclosedwhat I deem to be practical and efiicient embodiments of the presentinvention, it should be well understood that I, do not wish to belimited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement,disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principleof the present invention as comprehended within the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A structure of the type described which comprises, in combination, aplurality of metal plate elements, said elements consisting of a bodyhaving a male edge formed by a bent part of gutter shape, and a femaleedge made of a bent part forming a corresponding gutter nearly closed,with a slot running along said last mentioned gutter, and a plane endpart making an angle of 90 with the body of the plate element prolongingsaid female edge, afirst series of these elements being assembledtogether in line with one another, so that the male edge of one elementengages in the slot of the female gutter of the next elementof theseries, a second series of such elements being assembled in a similarmanner in parallel relation with the first mentioned one, these twoseries of elements being so arranged that their corresponding plane endparts at right angles to the bodies of said elements are turned towardone another, respectively, and means for rigidly interconnecting saidcorresponding end parts, respectively.

2. A structure of the type described which comprises, in combination, aplurality of metal 7 plate elements, said elements consisting of a bodyhaving a male edge formed by a bent part of circular semi-cylindricalshape and a female edge formed by a bent part forming a gutter ofcorresponding semi-cylindrical shape, nearly closed, with a slot runningalong said gutter, and a. plane end part, making an angle of 90 with thebody of the plate element, prolonging said female edge, a first seriesof these elements being assembled together in line with one another, sothat the maleedge of one element engages in the slot of said gutter ofthe next element of the series, a second series of such elements beingassembled in a similar manner in parallel relation with the firstmentioned one, these two series of elements being so arranged that theircorresponding plane 7 end parts at right angles to the bodies of saidelements are turned toward one another, respectively, and transversemeans for rigidly interconnecting said end parts with each other,respectively.

3. In a prefabricated structure, the combination with a series of plateelements, each such element comprising a body having a male marginalportion shaped to provide a gutter extending lengthwise of such marginalportion and an oppositely disposed female marginal portion shaped toprovide .a complementary gutter ex.- tending lengthwise of such marginalportion with the body of said element partly overlying said last namedgutter, said female marginal portion being-further shaped adjacent itsouter edge to provide a flange extending laterally of the plane of thebody on that side of the body on which the gutter is formed, saidelements being assembled with the gutter formed at the male marginalportion of one element received within the gutter formed at the femalemarginal portion of the adjacent element, of a second series of suchelements shaped and assembled in a similar manner in spaced relationwith the elements of the first series and with the said flanges of theelements of the two series extending toward one another, and means forrigidly connecting the said flanges of the two series.

4. In a prefabricated structure, the combination with a series of plateelements, each such element comprising a body having a male marginalportion shaped to provide a parti-cylindrical gutter extendinglengthwise of such marginal portion and an oppositely disposed femalemarginal portion shaped to provide a complementary parti cylindricalgutter extending lengthwise of such marginal portion with the body ofsaid element overlying the major portion of said last named gutter, thecomplementary gutters on adjacent elements being shaped to fit snuglyone within the other, said female marginal portion being further shapedadjacent its outer edge to provide a flange extending laterally of theplane of the body on that side of the body on which the gutter isformed, said elements being assembled with the gutter formed at the malemarginal portion of one element received within and contacting closelywith the gutter formed at the female marginal portion of the adjacentelement, of a second series of such elements shaped and assembled in asimilar manner in generally parallel relation with the elements of thefirst series and with the said flanges of the elements of the two seriesextending toward one another, and means for rigidly connecting the saidflanges of the two series.

5. In a prefabricated structure, the combination with a series of plateelements forming a structural wall, each such element comprising a bodyhaving a male marginal portion shaped to provide a gutter extendinglengthwise of such marginal portion and an oppositely disposed femalemarginal portion shaped to provide a complementary gutter extendinglengthwise of such marginal portion with the body of said element partlyoverlying said last name d gutter, said female marginal portion beingfurther shaped adjacent its outer edge to provide a flange extendinglaterally of the plane of the body on that side of the body on which thegutter is formed, said elements being assembled with the gutter formedat the male marginal portion of one element received within the gutterformed at the female marginal portion of the adjacent element, of asecond series of plate elements forming a second structural walldisposed in spaced relation and in general parallelism with said firstwall, the elements of the second series being formed to providelaterally extending

